Sawmill comprising two circular saws for cutting adjacent sides of cants simultaneously



. SHURTLIFF 96 March 23, 1954 N. E

SAWMILL COMPRISING TWO CIRCULAR SAWS FOR CUTTING ADJACENT SIDES OF CANTS SIMULTANEOUSLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1952 ATTORNEYS Ma 3, 1954 N. E. SHURTLIFF 2,672,896

SAWMILL COMPRISING TWO CIRCULAR SAWS FOR CUTTING ADJACENT SIDES OF CANTS SIMULTANEOUSLY Filed June so, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 s l nlllllllllllllllln INVENTOR. I

ll- E NORVAL a. SHURTLIFF z 1U ATTORNEYS 2,672,896 CUTTING March 23, 1954 N. E. SHURTLIFF SAWMILL COMPRISING TWO CIRCULAR SAWS FOR ADJACENT SIDES OF CANTS SIMULTANEOUSLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 50, 1952 m w 4 0 +7 4 M\ |.l 3 6 7 T 7 M 7. co 7 woo e 5 7 I .m rl\l y mw M U m U mH S F- w W o N ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 23, 1954 ATENT v OFFICE SAWMILLHCOMPRISING Tw-o CIRCULAR SAWS FOR CUTTING ADJACENT SIDES 0F CANTS SIMULTANEOUSLY Norval E ShurtlifiZLowell, Oreg., assignor of seventy-five per centto Stephen B. Kalm, Portland, Oreg.

' Application Juneat, 1952, Serial No. 296,420

,My present invention relates to a sawmill; Modern lumbering practice involves the use of tractors, trucks and other wheeled vehicles which go into the timberlands and transport logs to rivers or other waterways leading to stationary mills, or to railways for ultimate transportation tothemills. The purpose of the present invention is partially to eliminate the transportation factor by providing a' transportable sawmill which may be moved directly into the timberlands.

A further object of the present invention, therefore, is to aid scientific tree farming by leaving in the woods sections of logs which will provide humus.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mill of the character described which is economical to operate, and requires less manpower and labor hours per board foot produced than any sawmill within my knowledge.

A further object of the present invention is to provide asawmill which economically produces merchantable timber in any commonl encountered or desired size from logs directly in the forests.

The objects and advantages of the .present in vention will be more readily ascertained by inspection of the accompanying drawings taken in connection with the following specification wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an entire sawmill incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the sawmill;

Fig. 3 is an end view, on an enlarged scale, taken from the plane of line 3-..3 of Fig. 2;.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, on a further enlarged scale, taken substantially from the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3; I

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section taken substantially along line 55 of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5; I

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken along line l-| of Fig. 5; v

Fig. 8 is a side view of the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken from the plane of the line 9-9 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 10 (Sheet 2) is a partial vertical end view of the sawmill carriage taken from the plane of the line ill-l0 ofFig. 2.

- The present invention may be incorporated in any desired arrangement or sawmill apparatus.

a Claims. (01. 14338) However, for most economical results the present invention is incorporated in a unitary sawmill completely equipped to produce commercial boards or timbers. Such a unit is best mounted upon skids for dragging the same through the forest to a suitable location, it being the intention to have the unit remain in one position within the area served by a highline or other means to bring log sections to the unit, and then to move the unit to an adjoining area, and so on. The herein disclosed form comprises a pair of logs I!) having beveled, forward ends as indicated at, H whereby the unit may be skidded over the ground by a, tractor or other suitable power means. A plurality of transverse beams I2 aremounted upon the upper surfaces of the main beams of the skid logs in and a heavy deck made of beams I3 is mounted upon the transverse beams. A carriage l4 mounted upon wheels i5 is guided for movement longitudinally of the frame upon a pair of suitable tracks 16, the carriage being movable from the forward end of the frame to an intermediate position. The carriage.

is of such length and size as to support a section of log of the largest diameter to be encountered and of a length sufiicient to create commercial timbers, such as eight, ten or twelve feet long. These sections of log are cut from the fallen trunks at the position Where the trunk lies and may be dragged to the sawmill by the tractor which is used to drag the sawmill about, or by any other equipment (not shown). Suitable means such as an A-frame hoist (not shown) is provided to lift the log sections onto the carriage. The carriage is shifted longitudinally of the tracks It by suitable means schematically in-' dicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and comprising cable winches operated by fluid motors (not shown) mounted in a housing I! driven by fluid under pressure supplied by a pump it. Related mechanism, of which detail are not given, includes an internal combustion engine l9 which, through suitable belts and pulleys, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, drives the pump IS, an edger 20 and a generator 2| for supplying lights for night operations. Cants created by the saw apparatus of the present invention are transported on a roll table 22 through the edger 20 and run out onto the roll table 23 from which the finished boards or timbers are removed for stacking or loading onto a truck. It is to be appreciated that details of the auxiliary mechanism are not illustrated herein, since many such combinations may be utilized along with the present invention. I

The carriage employed in the present invention is herein illustrated as involving fluid motors and piston and cylinder means supplied with oil under pressure from the pump |8 through suitable flexible connections (not shown). The logs rest on the carriage in a cradle comprising a fixed pair of blocks 30 defining inclined surfaces facing inwardly at one side of the carriage and a movable pair of blocks 3| defining inclined surfaces facing inwardly at the opposite side of the carriage. The movable blocks are pivotally mounted at 32 (Fig. 3) and may be raised and lowered simultaneously by means such as cylinders 33 pivotally mounted on the carriage and from which extend pistons 34 pivotally attached to the movable blocks. Accordingly, the cradle may be adjusted to suit the diameter of the log upon which work is being done, and also the movable blocks 3| may be raised to the extent that the log, or a discarded portion thereof, may be rolled oif of the carriage and onto the ground over the inclined members 35 fixed to the skid. A pair of cogged log rolling members 36 are mounted upon the fixed blocks 38 at opposite ends of a shaft 31 (Fig. 1) and a similar pair of cogged rollers 38 are mounted on the members 3| at opposite ends of a shaft 39. The shafts 31 and 39 may be driven in unison by suitable flexible drive means connected to a common shaft which is driven by a fluid motor 4| so that a log resting in the carriage may be rotated to bring successive portions thereof uppermost into alignment with the saws. An A-frame 42 mounted at one side of the carriage is provided with suitable tackle connected to a winch driven by a fluid motor 48 in order that additional means may be provided for rotating a log if the cogged members 36 and 38 cannot perform their intended function. It is to be appreciated that details of the carriage are not illustrated as being relatively unimportant. It is within the purview of my invention that I have provided a carriage in which a log section may be supported and rotated to bring various portions thereof uppermost into alignment with the saws.

When the log has been rotated into the desired position it is clamped in position by a pair of fluid-operated dogs 43 (Fig. 10) mounted on one end of the carriage, the dogs being connected to pistons 44 extending from opposite ends of a fluid cylinder 45 extending transversely across the carriage. Suitable connections are provided whereby the pistons 44 may be simultaneously spread apart or brought together. The dogs 43 project from opposed members 46 from which depend guides 41 bearing on the cylinder 45. When the dogs 43 are forced toward each other into the lower surface of a log, the log will be held in its selected position while a plurality of vertical grain cants are removed from its upper surface by the saws. It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the saws remove sections having outer rough surfaces, which sections may then be passed through the edger to remove the outer rough surfaces. Operation of the log turning and dogging apparatus is achieved by a sawyer standing at a convenient location where he may inspect the log sections and the cents, and at which position he would be provided with suitable control means (not shown).

The saws utilized in the present invention are mounted in an overhead position upon a scaffolding including uprights 50 and connected at their lower ends to spaced members l3 and resting upon a pair of transverse beams |'2, the upper ends of the uprights being connected by cross-beams 52 and longitudinal beams 54. Intermediate longitudinal beams 55 are connected to the uprights and rest upon intermediate cross-beams 56, the beams 55 projecting beyond the scaifold and providing support for an internal combustion engine 51. It is to be appreciated that an internal combustion engine 5'! is preferable since ordinarily electric power is not available in the woods, but that any suitable motive means may be substituted therefor if conditions permit. The engine drives a pulley 58, belt means 59 and opposed pulley 60 to rotate a line shaft 6| extending transversely of the scaffold and mounted in bearings (not shown) attached to the uprights 50. The shaft 6| supports a lower parallelogram frame including longitudinal members 82, 63 and 64 (Fig. 3) upon each of which is mounted a bearing embracing shaft 6| such as indicated at 65 (Fig. 5), and transverse members 86 and 61. A sprocket 68 on the end of shaft 8| drives a sprocket chain 69 and a sprocket 18 fixed to an upper guide shaft 7| fixed to the uprights 50. An upper parallelogram frame is pivotally mounted on guide shaft H, the frame comprising a pair of straps I2 embracing the shaft, a longitudinal member I3, and a diagonal brace 14. The shaft H is constantly rotated by the sprocket chain 69 so that the straps 12 may slide longitudinally of the shaft without binding. The lower end of member 13 supports a pivot 15 from which depend a pair of saw supporting links 78, the links being welded to a saw supporting sleeve 11. One end of the sleeve 11 is threaded and a threaded collar 18 (Fig. 6) mounted thereon holds a shifting bar 19 in position at the end of the sleeve. The shifting bar has oppositely extending arms, one end terminating in threaded terminals engaging a shifting screw 8| mounted in bearings fastened to the lower surfaces of the members 83 and 84, the other end of the arm terminating in a threaded member 82 engaging a shifting screw 83 mounted parallel to and above the member 61. A fluid motor 93 (Fig. 2) mounted on the member 62 is connected by sprocket chains 84 and 85 to sprockets fixed to the shifting screws 8| and 83 respectively whereby simultaneous, coextensive rotatation of the screws 8| and 83 may be effected. When the screws are rotated the sleeve 11 is shifted laterally across the frame so as to position the saws laterally with respect to the log supported upon the carriage. A pair of vertical shifting screws 86 are pivotally connected to suitable portions of the lower parallelogram frame and are engaged in internally threaded collars 81 (Fig. 3) pivotally mounted on a transverse rod 88. Each of the members 81 may be rotated by a fluid motor 89 mounted upon the rod 88 and connected thereto through the medium of sprockets and sprocket chains indicated at 90. Rotation of the members 81 in the appropriate direction causes raising and lowering of the parallelogram frame so as to position the saws vertically with respect to the log upon the carriage.

The vertical saw is mounted upon the proiecting end of hub 98 which is longitudinally slidable along a splined shaft 91 extending transversely of the lower parallelogram frame and mounted in suitable bearings on the lower surfaces of the members 63 and 64. The hub 96 is retained in the sleeve 11 and spaced therefrom by bearings as indicated in Fig. 6, being retained by its enlarged saw mounting head portion and by a threaded sprocket '98 engaging. the outer 'surface of the opposite end of the sleeve and pinned thereto by cap screws 99 (Fig.9) passing'through holes drilled through the threads of the sprocket and of the hub. A portion of the shaft 9'! projects beyond the member 63 and is supported in a bearing mounted on the member 62, the portion between the members fiz and 63 being fixed to a pulley I00. Belt means IOI extend about the pulley I80 and apulley I02 fixed to the shaft 6! whereby the saw 95 is driven by means of the motor means 51.

The sprocket 58 drives a sprocket chain I05 (Fig. 3) andv a sprocket fixed to a stub shaft projecting from a gear case I06, containing gears (not shown) whereby a vertically depending saw shaft 10'! (Figs. 4 and 7) is rotated whenever the shaft 91 is rotated. The shaft H1! is held 7 in suitable bearings within the projecting end of the gear case Ill-6, the lower surface of which provides a thrust bearing for the hub Hi3 fixed to the end of the shaft :01. The hub I08 is provided with threaded bolt holes for affixing the horizontal saw H thereto. The hub IE8 is provided with a plurality of chipper teeth H l for the purpose of routing out a groove in the external surface or bark of a log in the event the operator wishes to cut a preliminary cant of greater width than the free surface of the saw, or to chip off projecting knots or bumps in the bark surface of the section being removed.

A bracket I I5 fixed to the depending portion of the gear housing "16' extends longitudinally from the housing and is provided with a horizontal plate. H6 in alignmentwith the saw blade I I0 and coextensive in width with the cutting portion thereof. The plate is provided with a rectangular opening I IT in which are mounted a plurality of horizontal, laterally extending rollers H8, the rollers being staggered so that some project slightly above the upper surface of the plate and some project slightly below. The plate with its attached rollers enters the horizontal kerf produced by the saw H0 to provide an anti-friction surface for supporting the removed cant and holding it from frictional engagement with the surface of the saw I I0 when the cant is completely severed from the log. This prevents the cant from traveling back with the carriage when the carriage is returned, in the event that the edger operator has not removed the cant onto the roller table 22 at that time. A further purpose of the rollers H8 is to hold the cant spaced above the saw teeth rather than permitting it to drop onto the lower surface of the kerf, in which event it would be gouged and possibly ruined by the rotating saw I I0.

It is to be appreciated that even though the saws 95 and llil are of different diameters, the gears contained in the gear case H36 are such as to drive the two saws at the same peripheral speed. The horizontal saw is so arranged that its periphery is tangential to the kerf produced by the vertical saw, the axis of the horizontal saw being slightly behind the vertical plane of the axis of the vertical saw so that the teeth of the saws do not interfere with each other. Likewise, the vertical saw is tangential to the kerf produced by the, horizontal saw. It is obvious from the foregoing that there are several possible arrangements of the saws, but in each such possible arrangement the kerf produced by one saw intersects the kerf produced by the other saw. 5

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be apparent'to'those-skilled'in'the art that the's'ame" permits of modification'in arrangement and detail. I claim as my invention allv such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1 v

1. In a sawmill of the type comprising a carriage adapted to transport a log endwise, a first circular saw mounted for rotation about a horizontal axisabove the path of movement of said carriage, and a second circular saw mounted for rotation about a vertical axis above the path of movement of saidcarriage, said saws being arranged so that the kerf produced by one intersects the kerf produced by the other whereby a cant may be sawed along two adjacent sides'diuing one passage of a log supported on said carriage past said saws; the improvement of means for supporting and driving said saws comprising a frame rising abovesaid carriage, a movably mounted, longitudinally splined, driven shaft extending horizontally above and transversely with respect to the path'of movement of said carriage, an internally splined hub slidably mounted on said shaft and coaxially fixed to said first saw, a common support for said saws including horizontal journal means journaling said hub and vertical journal means rotatably supporting said second saw, means operatively connecting said second saw .to said splined shaft through said hub, and means to adjust the positions of said saws as a unit in the vertical sense with respect tosaid carriage comprising aparallelogram linkage extending in the direction of movement of sa1d carriage, pivotally mounted on said frame and having a free end including a free end link, said parallelogram linkage supporting said splined shaft at its free end, and said parallelogram linkage including as the free end link thereof a portion of said common support and having its lower, free end pivot coaxial with said horizontal journal means and with said splined shaft whereby the relationship of said saws to each other and the respective horizontal and vertical axes of rotation thereof are maintained at any position of the parallelogram linkage.

2. In a sawmill of the type comprising a carriage adapted to transport a log endwise, a first circular saw mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis above the path of movement of said carriage, and a second circular saw mounted for rotation about a vertical axis above the path of movement of said carriage, said saws being arranged so that the kerf produced by one intersects the kerf produced by the other whereby a cant may be sawed along two adjacent sides during one passage of a log supported on said carriage past said saws; the improvement of means for supporting and driving said saws comprising a frame rising above said carriage, a longitudinally splined, driven shaft movably mounted upon said frame and extending horizontally above and transversely with respect to the path of movement of said carriage, an intern-ally splined hub slidably mounted on said shaft and coaxially fixed to said first saw, a common support for said saws including horizontal journal means journaling said hub and vertical journal means rotatably supporting said second saw, means operatively connecting said second saw to said splined shaft comprising a first sprocket fixed to said hub, a second-sprocket mounted on said support, a sprocket chain passing around said sprockets, and gear means'i 'driven by said second sprocket and driving said second saw, and means T thelpositiunsnof: isaid isaws,z=aszar1unitrini the senaea witm respect to. iSBi-id carriage .:=E 'i-pE-ra'11fmm I ilinkagiel wpivotally mounted Your sazid lframe :inn swingingmovement in a vertical plane parallel to1-thanaithuof movement of said carriage, said parallelogram slinkage havinga fleesendvertical,ilinkleomprising :a .portion of said icommomsupmtvand comprising as its lower; 'fneesend' 'ipivot meanslcoaxialwith. said s-piinett shartrwhereby' theq vertical :axis :of rotation 011759216. rsec'ond saw-land: athe relationship. 'IOf said"v saws: ito .ieaeh: othervare :nraintained :at' any pdsiti'onwof thesparaL-lielogram linkage.

'3; aasa'wniillz/of :the type oomprising a :car-

riage adapted to. transpontsaJlog 1 endwise, a first circisrlavxsawmounted' ifbr. imtation: aboutxa' horizontali axisi'abovefthe path of movement of' said carriage zand a se'eorncl 'circul'ar saw' mounted for rotation about-a vertical axis above the path of movement of said carriage, "said. s'aws being amanged'iso that thefikerf produced ibyzoneiint'ersects theker f'zproduced by the other'whereby a can-t may kee -sawed I along twovadjacent :sid'es during one passage ofa logsupportedon said carriage pastlsaid saws; the improvement of means for supporting and driving said vs-aws comprisinga frame rising above 'sa'i'd -oarr iageya longitudinally splined,-d1 iven=shaftextending horizontallyabove and--transverseIy=with:respect to the path of movemen-t enema :carniagman internaIIy-splined 'hub" supporting' 'said se'cond'saw', @means operatively" connectmg said second saw tosaid hub, means ventically-qamd"-paralllrtowthe:path of movement; Of said: carriage,;-"safidparallelogram linkage includinaas rthe' "vertical free :end link thereof a pontion 10f said-common support, and having its lowerfree end tpivot; coaxial with said horizontal journal. means when'eby'thevertical axis of rotation 0i said: second; l'saw" and the relationship of said saws to each other are maintained atany position 1025 thep'arallelogram linkage, and means tvo adiustathe-ypositionsof *said'saws as-a unit in thehorizontahsense-withrespect: to said carriage compris'm'gmlongated screw :means mounted on saidparallelogramlinkagexparalfel to said spl ined shafit, vintemailly threaded means threadedly engaging'zsaid screvwmeans, and a shifting mem-- berrigidly connecting said internally threaded means to said- -aommon support.

I NORVALVE; SHURTIIEF.

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